Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by alarmguy
the public demands bass, no matter how inaccurate it is from the artist.
One thing about this, how can we know for sure what sound the artist truly intended? Short of being present in the recording studio when the album was recorded, how can we tell?
On the other hand, when you go to a concert, you experience thunderous chest pounding amounts of bass that most home audio systems or headphones can't even come close to replicating. Alas, concerts are meant for general entertainment and less for accuracy/critical listening, so that isn't really a valid point of reference either, IMO.
My personal approach is to not chase after "what the artist intended" since I really don't know how to find that, but instead to obtain the sound I personally enjoy, and that will be different for each of us. Home audio environments are affected by so many factors (speaker response, speaker placement, amps, DACs, room layout, room treatment, etc.) that trying to achieve truly flat response would be an exercise in futility.
Quattro, Pew, Arco, Alfred ...
First, thanks for those posts regarding neutral sounding ear pieces. No sense in me restating why for others, its all above in these threads.
"as the artist intended"
Here is my answer to all those that posted about my comment.
First question would be, if you are not searching for equipment that can reproduce the sound the "artist" intended then why not go to the dollar store and pick up some headphones?
Its super easy to make cheap or super expensive equipment that is not capable or reproducing sound as it was recorded. If not, then the whole purpose of high fidelity is lost.
You need a standard or that $200 headphone is just as good as the $7 one.
The standard is electronic equipment being able to reproduce what is recorded, if it can not, then it is inferior.
If your equipment can not do that, then you are actually listening to sound/music from cheap overpriced garbage or the way the equipment maker intended NOT the artist.
Now with that said, what do you think the "for profit" equipment maker will do?
They will reproduce music with the cheapest possible components at the highest possible profit for the general population who has no idea what so ever what they are buying or trying to accomplish, as long as it sounds good to them, it doesnt matter if it is "what the artist" which they are paying for "intended.
There has to be a standard and the standard is what it is that comes out of the studio! Then, after that, you can do whatever you want with it and Taylor it more to your liking but if you never know the "truth" of how it is supposed to sound, then what the heck are you buying?
So much of the population is being dumbed down by corporations making massive profits over this garbage they are forgetting about the purpose of the music itself and how it should sound. if I see one more headphone with the words " Extra Bass" I am going to throw up. *L*
For gods sake, if you want "extra bass" turn up the bass on your equipment.
I just want to hear what the recording is, I do not need equipment manufacturers deciding what I hear from the music I pay for.
With all the above said, yes, I know full well the upper class and honestly anyone who wants to spend the money can have true truthful unadulterated music from some fine companies equipment out there, much of them pretty much marketed as studio headphones, monitors etc.
I mean, even the poptart audio reviewers that are online have no idea what they are talking about, what they are listening too and can not rely on anything they say and most of them just trying to generate clicks to purchase products., drives me nuts *L*
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Ps, call me crazy but gosh darn, the $20 wired Apple earbuds that came with my iPhone sound better then a lot of this crap. Here I am looking to spend up to a modest $150 or so IF, IF I can be assured of an accurate sounding WIFI on ear or in ear headphone with good battery life, thing is, I know they are out there, some suggestions in here but I do want an ON ear or IN ear, most likely an in ear simply because I have number of on and over already and will make do until I find the holy grail.